Versatile electric bicycle systems

ABSTRACT

The disclosure herein provides systems for a versatile electric bicycle that is configured to be easily adapted to accommodate various needs and requirements. In certain embodiments, the foregoing may provide features and/or models that are configured to be easily adapted to accommodate parts of varying dimensions, different seating configurations, and/or particular laws and regulations of different jurisdictions.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/255,500, filed Apr. 17, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/178,205, filed Feb. 11, 2014, which is acontinuation of PCT Application No. PCT/US2013/060706, filed Sep. 19,2013, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.61/704,375, filed Sep. 21, 2012. Each of the foregoing applications ishereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

Embodiments relate to the field of bicycles, and, in particular, toimproved designs for versatile electric bicycles.

2. Description

With the development of new technologies, various types and kinds ofelectric bicycles are available today that can operate on electricand/or manual power. Many different types of electric bicycles areavailable and comprise various types of parts, such as motors andbatteries, customized for different laws and regulations of eachjurisdiction. Most electric bicycles are quite particular and lackcompatibility or flexibility. For example, a certain electric bicyclecan be restricted to be used in conjunction with certain parts, certainconfigurations, and/or within certain jurisdictions only. In otherwords, the electric bicycle industry lacks any standard or base modelthat can easily be adapted to accommodate different regulations,different parts, and/or different configurations. Further, the sameelectric bicycle may be considered by law a bicycle, a moped, a motorassisted cycle, or a motorcycle depending on jurisdiction andspecification. The most common jurisdictional variations are total powerpermitted, top speed permitted, and whether the motor is controlled by ahand throttle or by pedal input.

SUMMARY

Advancements in technology make it possible to develop systems of aversatile electric bicycle that are adaptable to accommodate differentparts, including motors and batteries, seat configurations, and laws ofdifferent jurisdictions.

In one embodiment, a system for controlling an electric bicycle having amotor comprises a user access point unit configured to receive a userinput for controlling the electric bicycle, and an electric bicyclecomputing unit configured to control performance characteristics of theelectric bicycle. The electric bicycle computing unit may control theelectric bicycle based on the received user input, such that theperformance characteristics of the electric bicycle comply withregulations of a first jurisdiction encompassing a current location ofthe electric bicycle. In one embodiment, the electric bicycle computingunit may communicate with a main computing system which maintains aregulations database to retrieve the regulations of the firstjurisdiction encompassing the current location of the electric bicycleand automatically configure the electric bicycle to comply with theretrieved regulations. In another embodiment, the user access point unitmay communicate with a main computing system which maintains aregulations database to retrieve the regulations of the firstjurisdiction encompassing the current location of the electric bicycleand transmit the retrieved regulations to the electric bicycle computingunit, and electric bicycle computing unit may automatically configurethe electric bicycle to comply with the regulations transmitted by theuser access point unit.

In some embodiments, the current location of the electric bicycle may beautomatically determined, without any user input, based on locationinformation provided by a GPS module configured to determine locationinformation. Alternatively, in other embodiments, the current locationof the electric bicycle may be determined based on the user inputspecifying a location.

In some embodiments, the user access point unit may allow the user tospecify one or more control parameters for controlling the electricbicycle. The one or more control parameters may be one or more of (i)pedal assist or power on demand modes of power application, (ii) a poweroutput of the motor, (iii) a top speed of the electric bicycle, (iv) amaximum torque of the motor, and (v) a brake ON or OFF status.

In some embodiments, the electric bicycle computing unit may detect achange in the current location of the electric bicycle causing thecurrent location to be encompassed by a second jurisdiction differentfrom the first jurisdiction, and automatically configure the electricbicycle to comply with regulations of the second jurisdiction.

In some embodiments, the electric bicycle may further comprise powercontrol module for controlling the power output of the motor of theelectric bicycle, a GPS module for detecting a current location of theelectric bicycle, a speed detection module for detecting a current speedof the electric bicycle, a navigation module for providing directions tothe user, and/or a battery level detection module for monitoring acurrent battery level by communicating with one or more battery sensors.

In some embodiments, the user input may include user selection of ariding mode specifying how the electric bicycle is to be used. Based onthe user selection, the electric bicycle computing unit may control theelectric bicycle according to the selected riding mode. For example, (1)in a case that the riding mode is a bicycle mode, the electric bicyclecomputing unit turns off the motor of the electric bicycle such that theelectric bicycle is driven solely by pedaling, (2) in a case that theriding mode is a moped mode, the electric bicycle computing unit capsthe performance of the motor of the electric bicycle based on theregulations of the first jurisdiction, and (3) in a case that the ridingmode is an off-road-only mode, the electric bicycle computing unitallows the motor of the electric bicycle to perform in an uninhibitedmanner.

In some embodiments, the electric bicycle computing unit may beconfigured to unlock the electric bicycle when a valid connection isestablished between the electric bicycle computing unit, and lock theelectric bicycle when the valid connection is terminated.

In some embodiments, an electric bicycle may comprise a frame and a sidebag having a semi-rigid outer shell. The side bag may be connected tothe frame with an elastic material that holds the shell tight to theframe when the side bag is not full and holds the shell tight to thecargo inside the side bag when the side bag is full.

In some embodiments, the side bag is waterproof, cut resistant,permanently fixed to the frame, and/or has one or more additionalpockets for holding batteries, controllers, bicycle locks and/orhelmets. In some embodiments, a bag or compartment for holding one ormore batteries may comprise a connector mechanism for connecting atleast one battery of said one or more batteries to the electric bicyclesuch that the motor is powered by said at least one battery.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features, aspects and advantages are describedin detail below with reference to the drawings of various embodiments,which are intended to illustrate and not to limit the disclosure. Thedrawings comprise the following figures in which:

FIGS. 1A-1G depict an example of one embodiment of an electric bicyclewith a wave seat configuration that allows for multiple seat positions.

FIGS. 2A-2G depict an example of one embodiment of an electric bicyclewith one or more bags covering the rear wheel.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram depicting a high level overview of oneembodiment of a system for controlling the maximum output of a motor ofan electric bicycle.

FIG. 3B is a block diagram depicting one embodiment of a computerhardware system configured to run software for implementing one or moreembodiments of the motor output control system described herein.

FIGS. 3C-3I depict an example of one embodiment of an electric bicyclewith a user access point system integrated to the electric bicycle.

FIG. 3J is a block diagram depicting an overview of one embodiment of amethod of controlling the maximum output of a motor of an electricbicycle.

FIGS. 4A-4G depict drivetrain layout features of an example of oneembodiment of an electric bicycle.

FIG. 5 depicts an example of one embodiment of an electric bicycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanyingfigures. The terminology used in the description presented herein is notintended to be interpreted in any limited or restrictive manner, simplybecause it is being utilized in conjunction with a detailed descriptionof certain specific embodiments. Furthermore, embodiments may compriseseveral novel features, no single one of which is solely responsible forits desirable attributes or which is essential to practicing theembodiments herein described.

The disclosure herein provides improved systems for a versatile electricbicycle that is flexible and easily adaptable to accommodate variousneeds and requirements. In general, most electric bicycles availabletoday are restricted and/or designed to be used with particular parts,such as motors and/or batteries. Further, most electric bicycles areconfined to a particular seating configuration and/or are not easilytransferable across different jurisdictions due to varying regulationsand laws that control the electric bicycle industry. However, theembodiments of a versatile electric bicycle disclosed herein providestandard features and/or models that are configured to be easily adaptedto accommodate parts of varying dimensions, different seatingconfigurations, and/or particular laws and regulations of differentjurisdictions. Further, due to its flexibility, embodiments of anelectric bicycle disclosed herein are durable and timeless as the motor,battery, and/or other parts of the electric bicycle can be easilyupgraded and replaced.

The term “electric bicycle” used in the present disclosure may refer toany of electric bicycles, electric assist bicycles, mopeds and other“limited use vehicles” as defined by law (for example, a two- orthree-wheeled cycle that can go faster than 30 mph and reach a top speedof 40 mph). However, the term is not limited to such examples, and mayinclude other similar devices currently existing or to be developed inthe future.

Frame Design

In an embodiment, an electric bicycle comprises an ergonomicallydesigned frame. In some embodiments, the electric bicycle comprises astep-through frame.

Wave Seat Configuration

In general, electric bicycles can either be powered manually by pedalingor electrically by an electric motor. When an electric bicycle ispowered by the electric motor, the rider may prefer to sit lower andfurther back for a more comfortable position while cruising. Also, itmay be preferable for the rider to be able to lay his or her feet flaton the ground when the electric bicycle is stopped. Alternatively, arider may choose to manually pedal the electric bicycle in somesituations, such as when the batteries are out of power or when themotor is not providing enough power and/or speed. When pedaling, a ridermay prefer to sit or stand substantially above the pedals for a moredynamic riding configuration. As such, due to differences in physicalaction of the two options, different riding and/or seating positions canbe preferred depending on how the electric bicycle is being powered.

In an embodiment, an electric bicycle can have one or more seatingpositions that can be selected by the rider to accommodate differentseating preferences. FIGS. 1A-1G illustrate an example of an embodimentof an electric bicycle with multiple seating positions or a wave seatconfiguration. In the depicted embodiment, an electric bicycle comprisesmultiple seating positions including at least Position A 102, Position B104, and Position C 106.

Position A 102 is relatively low and is positioned away from the frontof the bicycle. The pedals 108 are generally located further forwardthan the seat position. Position A 102 can be selected when the electricmotor is powering the electric bicycle, although it may be selected formanual pedaling as well. When the electric bicycle is in Position A 102,a rider can sit back in a cruising position as the electric motor powersthe bicycle. Also, in some embodiments, Position A 102 is sufficientlylow as to allow a rider to rest the rider's feet flat on the ground whenthe bicycle is not moving.

Position C 106 is higher in height and is closer to the front of thebicycle compared to Position A 102. When a rider is actively pedalingthe electric bicycle, the user may select Position C 106 of the seatingpositions. This allows for the rider to sit or stand substantially abovethe pedals 108 to allow for more power and a more dynamic ridingposition.

Position B 104 is between Position A 102 and Position C 106, both inheight and in distance from the front of the bicycle. Position B 104 canbe selected depending on the personal preference of the rider and/orriding condition, such as the steepness of terrain.

In other embodiments, any number of seating positions that differ inheight and in distance from the front of the bicycle may be selected. Aplurality of seating positions may accommodate riders of differentheights and/or with different uses or preferences. In some embodiments,the different possible positions may be along a straight line. In otherembodiments, the different possible positions may be along an arc. Thatis, the seat may trace a straight line shape or an arc shape whenswitched between the various positions. In other embodiments, the seatmay trace any shaped line when switched between positions. Further, forwhatever path the seat traces, any number of possible positions may beused in between the two extreme positions A 102 and C 106.

In some embodiments, the seat may be rotated about an axis perpendicularto the bicycle frame plane. This plane contains the frame of thebicycle, thus such an axis would be approximately parallel to a wheelaxis. This is the equivalent of a “pitch” type of rotation. Thus, suchrotation of the seat allows the rider to either pitch up or pitch down.For example, when in back position A 102 a rider may elect to pitch upso that, relative to a level seat, the front portion of the seat movesup and the back portion of the seat moves down. Conversely, when inforward position 106, a rider may elect to pitch down, so that the frontportion of the seat moves down and the back portion of the seat moves uprelative to a level seat. Depending on the shape of the seat, the frontportion of the seat may be higher or lower than the back portion of theseat when pitched in either direction.

In some embodiments, the traced shape of the seat may be translated ormoved. For example, for a given starting position at position A 102 andgiven a shape to trace, the positions B 104 and C 106 are thus definedin space. However, all three positions, or however many positions anembodiment has, may be moved together. For example, a different startingposition at position A 102 may be used. Suppose position A 102 is movedup and back by a certain distance. This will in turn translate or movethe shape that the seat traces up and back by the same distance, thusmoving position B 104 and C 106 up and back by the same distance. Inthis manner, different sized riders may adjust the seat so that thevarious positions result in optimal configurations. For instance, ashort rider may want positions that will be closer to the ground, whilea tall rider may want positions higher up. These riders can adjust theseat accordingly so that all possible positions are relatively lower orhigher, respectively, than they otherwise would be. The translation ormovement of the traced shape may also be further forward or backward, orany combination of forward/backward and up/down.

In certain embodiments, the seat is configured to be switched betweenone or more seating configurations via an ottoman bracket and/or anL-shaped bracket. In some embodiments, the ottoman bracket and/orL-shaped bracket can comprise one or more holes that allow for one ormore seat configurations. In certain embodiments, the seat is configuredto be manually adjusted and locked into a particular position. In otherembodiments, the seat is configured to be automatically moved and lockedinto a preferable position via a button or other input that a rider canselect.

In some embodiments, the vertical distance of the seat from the bottomof the wheels can be adjusted from about 25 inches to about 45 inches orany other range. For example, depending on the seat configuration, thevertical distance of the seat from the bottom of the wheels can be about25 inches, 26 inches, 27 inches, 28 inches, 29 inches, 30 inches, 31inches, 32 inches, 33 inches, 34 inches, 35 inches, 36 inches, 37inches, 38 inches, 39 inches, 40 inches, 41 inches, 42 inches, 43inches, 44 inches, 45 inches, or any other height.

In certain embodiments, the horizontal distance from the front of theseat to the handles of the electric bicycle can be adjusted from about10 inches to about 25 inches or any other range. For example, dependingon the seat configuration, the horizontal distance from the front of theseat to the handles of the electric bicycle can be about 10 inches, 11inches, 12 inches, 13 inches, 14 inches, 15 inches, 16 inches, 17inches, 18 inches, 19 inches, 20 inches, 21 inches, 22 inches, 23inches, 24 inches, 25 inches, or any other distance.

Bag(s) Configuration

In an embodiment, an electric bicycle comprises one or more bagsconfigured to hold cargo or any other item(s). FIGS. 2A-2G illustrate anexample of an embodiment of an electric bicycle comprising one or morebags.

In an embodiment, one or more bags 200 are located in the rear of theelectric bicycle. In some embodiments, the one or more bags 200 arepermanently or semi-permanently integrated to the electric bicycle. Inother embodiments, the one or more bags 200 or parts thereof areselectively removable from the electric bicycle.

In some embodiments, the one or more bags 200 cover the rear wheel orportions thereof, providing a protective cover for the rear wheel. Bycovering the rear wheel or portions thereof, the one or more bags 200can reduce exposure of the rider and/or rear wheel to dirt or otherdebris. The one or more bags 200 can also function as a protective layerfor the rear wheel against shock or damage.

In some embodiments, the one or more bags 200 comprise a hard shelland/or soft compartment or pouch. The hard shell or structure can bemade of any type of hard material, such as a hard plastic for example.The hard shell can provide a rigid structure to the one or more bags 200such that the one or more bags 200 can maintain a certain form and/orshape. Also, the hard shell can prevent the one or more bags 200 frompoking into the rear wheel frame.

In some embodiments, the one or more bags 200 comprise a semi-rigidouter shell connected to a main body of the bag with an elasticmaterial. The elastic material can be configured to hold the outer shelltight or close to the body when the bag is not full, and to hold theshell tight to cargo placed within the bag when the bag is full orpartially full. In some embodiments, the bags 200 are configured to bewaterproof and/or cut resistant. In some embodiments, the bags 200 arepermanently fixed to the bicycle frame or removably attached to thebicycle frame. In some embodiments, as further described below, the bags200 may comprise one or more internal or external pockets for holdingvarious items, such as, for example, batteries, a controller, and/ordirty locks. In some embodiments, one or more pockets are speciallyconfigured to hold a particular item, such as a battery, controller,dirty locks, and/or the like. For example, a special pocket for holdinga dirty lock may comprise waterproof or other materials and/or a seal toreduce a risk of transferring dirt, contaminants, and/or moisture fromthe lock to other items within the bag.

The soft compartment or pouch can be made of any soft material, such asany type of fabric, soft plastic, canvas, leather, or any otherappropriate material or trim. The soft compartment or pouch can beflexible in some embodiments to be able to carry a wide variety of itemsin size and dimension. In certain embodiments, when empty, the softcompartment or pouch collapses to lay flat against the hard shell andcloser to the rear wheel. This can allow for a more aerodynamicconfiguration of the electric bicycle. In contrast, in certainembodiments, when one or more items are placed in the soft compartmentor pouch, the soft compartment or pouch can expand while being supportedby the hard shell.

In certain embodiments, an electric bicycle comprises a platform 204.The platform 204 can be configured to be used for resting a rider's feetand/or for providing support for the soft compartment or pouch.

Dedicated Pockets

In some embodiments, the one or more bags 200 comprise one or morecompartments or pouches that are dedicated for particular items. Forexample, in certain embodiments, the one or more bags 200 can compriseone or more dedicated battery pouches or compartments 202 for batterymounting and suspension on one or both sides of the electric bicycle. Inother embodiments, the one or more bags 200 can comprise one or morededicated compartments or pouches for a bicycle lock and/or helmet. Forexample, the one or more bags 200 may be used to hold or store dirtylocks.

In certain embodiments, the one or more bags 200 comprise a plurality ofdedicated battery compartments 202 in various locations. In someembodiments, the compartments 202 are on one or both sides of the bags200. In other embodiments, the compartments may be, instead or inaddition to being on the sides, on the back end of the bags 200 that isfarthest from the handles on the bike. Still in other embodiments, thecompartments 202 may be on a front side of the bags 200 that is farthesttoward the handles of the bike. Or the compartments 202 may be in anycombination of front, side, and/or back locations on the bags 200. Thecompartments 202 may further by located in any of these positions onboth or either the exterior of the bags 200 and/or the interior of thebags 200. In some embodiments, the bags 200 may also include covers toprotect the bags 200 from the elements and/or hide the bags 200 fromview for security purposes.

In certain embodiments, the one or more bags 200 comprise a plurality ofdedicated battery compartments 202 of various shapes and sizes toaccommodate batteries of various shapes and sizes. In some embodiments,the battery compartments 202 are substantially rectangular in shape andare configured to hold a plurality of batteries shaped approximatelylike a brick and of various sizes. For instance, the compartments 202may be configured to hold batteries approximately shaped like a brickand/or rectangle with width, depth, and length dimensions, respectively,of about 3.375 inches by about 2.625 inches by about 10.250 inches.Other possible width dimensions include about 0.5 inches, about 1 inch,about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches,about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches,about 5.5 inches, or about 6 inches, or any other width. Other possibledepth dimensions include about 0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5inches, or about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5inches, or about 6 inches, or any other depth. Other possible lengthdimensions include about 0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches,about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches,about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches,about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches,about 8 inches, about 8.5 inches, about 9 inches, about 9.5 inches,about 10 inches, about 10.5 inches, about 11 inches, about 11.5 inches,about 12 inches, about 12.5 inches, about 13 inches, about 13.5 inches,about 14 inches, about 14.5 inches, about 15 inches, about 15.5 inches,about 16 inches, about 16.5 inches, about 17 inches, about 17.5 inches,or about 18 inches, or any other depth.

The compartments 202 may be sized to accommodate a single size and shapeof battery or the compartments 202 may be sized to accommodate manyranges of battery sizes and shapes. In other embodiments, the batterycompartments 202 are substantially square, circular, and/or oval inshape, and/or any other shape, whether typical or atypical.

Square-shaped compartments may have length and width dimensions of about0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5 inches, about 8 inches, about 8.5inches, about 9 inches, about 9.5 inches, about 10 inches, about 10.5inches, about 11 inches, about 11.5 inches, about 12 inches, about 12.5inches, about 13 inches, about 13.5 inches, about 14 inches, about 14.5inches, about 15 inches, about 15.5 inches, about 16 inches, about 16.5inches, about 17 inches, about 17.5 inches, or about 18 inches, or anyother length and width. Square-shaped compartments 202 may have heightdimensions of about 0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5 inches, about 2inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5 inches, about 4inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5 inches, about 6inches, or any other height.

Circular-shaped or oval-shaped compartments 202 may have a minimumdiameter and/or a height of about 0.5 inches, about 1 inch, about 1.5inches, about 2 inches, about 2.5 inches, about 3 inches, about 3.5inches, about 4 inches, about 4.5 inches, about 5 inches, about 5.5inches, about 6 inches, about 6.5 inches, about 7 inches, about 7.5inches, about 8 inches, about 8.5 inches, about 9 inches, about 9.5inches, about 10 inches, about 10.5 inches, about 11 inches, about 11.5inches, about 12 inches, about 12.5 inches, about 13 inches, about 13.5inches, about 14 inches, about 14.5 inches, about 15 inches, about 15.5inches, about 16 inches, about 16.5 inches, about 17 inches, about 17.5inches, or about 18 inches, or any other diameter and/or height.

In certain embodiments, the dedicated battery compartments 202 arediagonal or substantially vertical in configuration with an opening atthe top to allow for easy installation and removal while providingsufficient stability such that the battery does not fall out.

In some embodiments, an electric bicycle comprises a plurality ofbattery compartments 202 on one or multiple sides of the electricbicycle. For example, in some embodiments, one, two, or three batterycompartments 202 may be located on each side of the electric bicycle. Inother embodiments, more battery compartments 202 may be located on oneside compared to another side. In certain embodiments, one or morebattery compartments 202 may be located on only one side of the electricbicycle.

In some embodiments, a dedicated battery compartment(s) 202 furthercomprises a connector mechanism to connect the battery to the electricbicycle such that battery can power the electric motor. For example, adedicated battery compartment(s) 202 can comprise a cradle, dock,cable(s), and/or pin(s) for connecting the battery to the electricbicycle. A battery compartment(s) 202 can also comprise any otherbattery connecting mechanism that is currently well-known or is to bedeveloped in the future. In some embodiments, the battery connectingmechanism that connects the one or more batteries to the motor isprotectively covered by the one or more bags 200.

In certain embodiments, unlike some other electric bicycles that arerestricted to a proprietary battery, a number of different types ofbatteries can be installed. Dedicated battery compartments 202 of someembodiments are flexible in shape and/or size and can accommodatebatteries with varying shapes and/or sizes. In addition, in certainembodiments, a dedicated battery compartment 202 can allow for simpleinstallation and/or removal of batteries for recharging, replacing,and/or upgrading among other purposes.

The bags 200 and/or compartments 202 in some embodiments areaerodynamically shaped to minimize and/or lower drag on the bike whenmoving and thus increase efficiency of the electrical system. In otherembodiments, the bags 200 and/or compartments 202 are bulkier andsacrifice aerodynamic efficiency for more storage space.

Vehicle Control System

Currently, different states and/or countries have different lawsgoverning the use of electric bicycles. For example, the definitionand/or restrictions of electric bicycles and their power can bedifferent in each state and/or country. Laws regarding the maximum speedof electric bicycles can also be different. For example, the U.S.federal law defines and restricts electric bicycles to bicycles withelectric motors of less than 750 Watts and with a top motor-poweredspeed of less than 20 miles per hour with a rider that weighs less than170 pounds. In comparison, California restricts the maximum power outputof electric bicycles to 1000 Watts, and Florida allows electric bicycleswith a maximum power output of up to 5000 Watts.

Needless to say, the different laws and regulations of each jurisdictioncreate a challenge for electric bicycle manufacturers in creating asingle product that complies with all such rules. One option formanufacturers is to develop a low-powered electric bicycle that complieswith the regulations of all jurisdictions and can be sold everywhere.However, such electric bicycles are unnecessarily restricted in bothpower and/or speed and consequently may not appeal to consumers therebyhindering sales. Another option is to develop customized electricbicycle products for each jurisdiction to maximize the power and/orspeed allowed by the laws of each jurisdiction. However, this optioninherently leads to high costs in design and manufacturing of multiplemodels.

As an alternative to developing a sufficiently low-powered electricbicycle to comply with all state regulations or developing customizedelectric bicycles per jurisdiction, an embodiment of an electric bicycleas disclosed herein uses software and a computer system(s) to controlthe maximum power output and/or speed within the regulations of eachjurisdiction. In other words, in some embodiments, an electric bicyclewith hardware specifications above the regulations of one or morejurisdictions is adaptable to such regulations via software and acomputer system(s). Such electric bicycles can maximize the power and/orspeed limits allowable by the laws of each jurisdiction. In this way, amanufacturer of an electric bicycle only needs to design, build, andmarket one electric bicycle product for a plurality of jurisdictions aslong as the software and computer system(s) can limit the maximum powerand/or speed output of the electric motor within each jurisdiction'sregulations.

FIG. 3A is a block diagram illustrating a high level overview of oneembodiment of a system for controlling the output of an electricbicycle's motor within a jurisdiction's regulations. In an embodiment, amain computing system 304, an electric bicycle computing system 310,and/or a user access point system 324 can be in communication over anetwork 308 to control the output of an electric bicycle's motor. Forexample, in some embodiments, a main computing system 304, an electricbicycle computing system 310, and/or a user access point system 324 areconfigured to control the performance characteristics of an electricbicycle such that the performance characteristics comply with aparticular jurisdiction or government's regulations and requirements. Incertain embodiments, appropriate software configured to be used inconjunction with the system to control and/or monitor an electricbicycle's performance can be purchased and/or downloaded forinstallation. For example, in some embodiments, software for a useraccess point system 324 can be downloaded and installed from a mobileapp store.

In some embodiments, the system comprises a user access point system 324configured to receive input from a rider and/or other user to specifyone or more control parameters for controlling the electric bicycle.Such control parameters may include “pedal assist” or “power on demand”modes of power application (for example, pedal-assist mode in which themotor assists the rider based on the pressure of his or her pedaling,and power-on-demand mode in which the rider has control of the amount ofpower output by the motor), total power output (for example, in watts),top speed, maximum torque and/or brake on or off status. Additionally oralternatively, the system (for example, electric bicycle computingsystem 310) may be configured to determine one or more of such controlparameters based on information provided by the user (for example, viathe user access point system 324) and/or information retrieved from oneor more internal or external databases (for example, regulationsdatabases 306 or 322). For example, in certain embodiments, the riderand/or other user can input a maximum speed and/or power value for themotor. In other embodiments, the rider and/or other user can inputand/or select the state or other jurisdiction where the electric bicycleis located, and the system can be configured to automatically configurethe one or more control parameters such that the electric bicyclecomplies with the regulations of the particular state or jurisdiction.In some embodiments, the system can be configured to automaticallydetect the appropriate state or other jurisdiction, without requiring auser to manually input and/or select a state or other jurisdiction. Forexample, as further described below, the system can be configured toutilize a GPS module to detect the bike's location.

In some embodiments, the user access point system 324 determines themaximum speed and/or power output allowable under the appropriateregulations of the selected jurisdiction based on a regulations database322 of the user access point system 324. In other embodiments, the useraccess point system 324 communicates with a main computing system 304comprising a regulations database 306 to determine the maximum speedand/or power output allowable under the appropriate regulations of theselected jurisdiction. Regulations related to electric bicycles, maximumallowable power and/or speed of electric bicycles, and/or other relatedinformation can be stored in the regulations database 306, 322. The useraccess point system 324 and/or main computing system 304 can beconfigured to periodically update the one or more regulations databases306, 322 by communicating with one or more other computing systemsand/or databases.

In certain embodiments, a GPS module is configured to detect the currentlocation of the electric bicycle and electronically transmit thelocation to the user access point system 324, electric bicycle computingsystem 310, and/or main computing system 304. Based on the detectedlocation, the user access point system 324, electric bicycle computingsystem 310, and/or main computing system 304 can automatically accessthe regulations database and determine the maximum speed and/or poweroutput allowed under the appropriate regulations of the jurisdictionwhere the electric bicycle is currently located. In some embodiments,the GPS module is configured to periodically check the location of theelectric bicycle and electronically transmit the location to the useraccess point system 324, electric bicycle computing system 310, and/ormain computing system 304. Based on the periodically updated location ofthe electric bicycle, the user access point system 324, electric bicyclecomputing system 310, and/or main computing system 304 can update themaximum speed and/or power output allowed under the regulations of a newjurisdiction when necessary due to the electric bicycle's movement. Insome embodiments, the GPS module is part of a user's smartphone or otherportable computing device. In some embodiments, in addition to, or inlieu of a GPS module, other locating or geolocation methods may beutilized, such as, for example, cellular phone tower triangulation,detection of Wi-Fi access points or other radio devices or broadcasts,and/or the like.

In some embodiments, an electric bicycle comprises an electric bicyclecomputing system 310. In certain embodiments, an electric bicyclecomputing system 310 is configured to limit the maximum power and/orspeed of the electric bicycle according to the determined maximumallowable power and/or speed from one or more regulations databases 306,322. In certain embodiments, the electric bicycle computing system 310comprises a power control module 312 configured to control and/or limitthe maximum power output of the electric bicycle's motor. The electricbicycle computing system 310 can also comprise a speed control module314 configured to control and/or limit the maximum speed output of themotor.

In some embodiments, some or all data and user settings are logged,time/date stamped, and preserved for a period of time (for example, topreserve manufacturer liability in the event of a crash or misuse). Forexample, every time a location-based performance profile is created (forexample, either from user specification of the location information orspecific control parameters, or from automatic determination of locationinformation and automatic configuration of relevant control parameters),any data generated and settings specified by the user are logged in alog database. In some embodiments, other data is also logged, such asspeed, acceleration, distance traveled, throttle position, brake controlposition, distance from nearby vehicles, and/or the like. The system maybe configured to periodically back up to another server or system forstorage or analysis the data stored in the log database.

In certain embodiments, the user access point system 324 can beconfigured to enable the user (for example, rider) of the electricbicycle to select a riding mode from a plurality of riding modes such asa “bicycle” mode, a “moped” mode or an “off road only” mode. In oneembodiment, the bicycle mode may, for example, turn off or disconnectthe motor of the electric bicycle and enable driving the electricbicycle solely from pedaling, the moped mode may, for example, limit thecapacity of the electric bicycle (for example, top speed, motor output,etc.) such that the electric bicycle falls under the definition of amoped (for example, the power control module 312 may be configured tolimit the power output and/or speed of the electric bicycle to be withinthe limits defined by law), and the off-road-only mode may, for example,allow uninhibited top speed and/or motor output.

In certain embodiments, the electric bicycle computing system 310 and/oruser access point system 324 comprises a speed detection module 316configured to detect the current speed of the electric bicycle. Thedetected speed of the electric bicycle can be displayed to the rider viathe user access point system 324 and/or other display means.

In certain embodiments, the electric bicycle computing system 310 and/oruser access point system 324 comprises a navigation module 318configured to communicate with a GPS module, detect the current locationof the electric bicycle, and/or give directions to the rider. Directionscan be displayed to the rider via the user access point system 324and/or other display means.

In certain embodiments, the electric bicycle computing system 310 and/oruser access point system 324 comprises a battery level detection module320 configured to detect and/or monitor the current battery level bycommunicating with one or more battery sensors. In some embodiments, theelectric bicycle computing system 310 is further configured to estimatea remaining distance or range the electric bicycle can travel based onthe detected battery level. In some embodiments, the current batterylevel and/or estimated range is displayed to the rider via the useraccess point system 324 and/or other display means.

In certain embodiments, the electric bicycle computing system 310 and/oruser access point system 324 are configured to control the suspensionsettings of the electric bicycle. In some embodiments, the user accesspoint system 324 can display a suspension setting input field to arider. The rider can insert a suspension setting of the rider's choiceusing the user access point system 324. In certain embodiments, the useraccess point system 324 is configured to receive a suspension settingselection from a rider and transmit the selection to the electricbicycle computing system 310. The electric bicycle computing system 310can receive the selection input and control the electric bicycleaccordingly.

For example, in some embodiments, an electric bicycle can be configuredto have one or more suspension settings, such as soft, medium, or hard.If a rider selects the soft suspension setting, the electric bicyclecomputing system 310 can loosen the suspension settings of the electricbicycle by adjusting a shock absorbing mechanism of the electricbicycle. If a rider selects the hard suspension setting, the electricbicycle computing system 310 can tighten the suspension settings of theelectric bicycle by adjusting a spring and/or shock absorbing mechanismof the electric bicycle.

The network may comprise one or more internet connections, securepeer-to-peer connections, secure socket layer (SSL) connections over theinternet, virtual private network (VPN) connections over the internet,or other secure connections over the internet, private networkconnections, dedicated network connections (for example, IDSN, T1, orthe like), wireless or cellular connections, or the like or anycombination of the foregoing.

Computing System

In some embodiments, the computer clients and/or servers described abovetake the form of a computing system 326 illustrated in FIG. 3B, which isa block diagram of one embodiment of a computing system that is incommunication with one or more computing systems 310 and/or one or moredata sources 342 via one or more networks 308. The computing system 326may be used to implement one or more of the systems and methodsdescribed herein. In addition, in one embodiment, the computing system326 may be configured to control the output speed and/or power of anelectric bicycle's motor. While FIG. 3B illustrates one embodiment of acomputing system 326, it is recognized that the functionality providedfor in the components and modules of computing system 326 may becombined into fewer components and modules or further separated intoadditional components and modules.

Motor Control Module

In one embodiment, the system 326 comprises a motor control module 338that carries out the functions described herein with reference tocontrolling the output power and/or speed of an electric bicycle'smotor. The motor control module 338 may be executed on the computingsystem 326 by a central processing unit 334 discussed further below.

In general, the word “module,” as used herein, refers to logic embodiedin hardware or firmware, or to a collection of software instructions,possibly having entry and exit points, written in a programminglanguage, such as, for example, COBOL, CICS, Java, Lua, C or C++. Asoftware module may be compiled and linked into an executable program,installed in a dynamic link library, or may be written in an interpretedprogramming language such as, for example, BASIC, Perl, or Python. Itwill be appreciated that software modules may be callable from othermodules or from themselves, and/or may be invoked in response todetected events or interrupts. Software instructions may be embedded infirmware, such as an EPROM. It will be further appreciated that hardwaremodules may be comprised of connected logic units, such as gates andflip-flops, and/or may be comprised of programmable units, such asprogrammable gate arrays or processors. The modules described herein arepreferably implemented as software modules, but may be represented inhardware or firmware. Generally, the modules described herein refer tological modules that may be combined with other modules or divided intosub-modules despite their physical organization or storage.

Computing System Components

In one embodiment, the computing system 326 also comprises a mainframecomputer suitable for controlling and/or communicating with largedatabases, performing high volume transaction processing, and generatingreports from large databases. The computing system 326 also comprises acentral processing unit (“CPU”) 334, which may comprise a conventionalmicroprocessor. The computing system 326 further comprises a memory 336,such as random access memory (“RAM”) for temporary storage ofinformation and/or a read only memory (“ROM”) for permanent storage ofinformation, and a mass storage device 328, such as a hard drive,diskette, or optical media storage device. Typically, the modules of thecomputing system 326 are connected to the computer using a standardsbased bus system. In different embodiments, the standards based bussystem could be Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI), Microchannel,SCSI, Industrial Standard Architecture (ISA) and Extended ISA (EISA)architectures, for example.

The computing system 326 comprises one or more commonly availableinput/output (I/O) devices and interfaces 332, such as a keyboard,mouse, touchpad, and printer. In one embodiment, the I/O devices andinterfaces 332 comprise one or more display devices, such as a monitor,that allows the visual presentation of data to a user. Moreparticularly, a display device provides for the presentation of GUIs,application software data, and multimedia presentations, for example. Inthe embodiment of FIG. 3B, the I/O devices and interfaces 332 alsoprovide a communications interface to various external devices. Thecomputing system 326 may also comprise one or more multimedia devices330, such as speakers, video cards, graphics accelerators, andmicrophones, for example.

Computing System Device/Operating System

The computing system 326 may run on a variety of computing devices, suchas, for example, a server, a Windows server, a Structure Query Languageserver, a Unix server, a personal computer, a mainframe computer, alaptop computer, a cell phone, a personal digital assistant, a kiosk, anaudio player, and so forth. The computing system 200 is generallycontrolled and coordinated by operating system software, such as z/OS,Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, WindowsVista, Windows 7, Linux, BSD, SunOS, Solaris, or other compatibleoperating systems. In Macintosh systems, the operating system may be anyavailable operating system, such as MAC OS X. In other embodiments, thecomputing system 200 may be controlled by a proprietary operatingsystem. Conventional operating systems control and schedule computerprocesses for execution, perform memory management, provide file system,networking, and I/O services, and provide a user interface, such as agraphical user interface (“GUI”), among other things.

Network

In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the computing system 326 is coupled to anetwork 308, such as a LAN, WAN, or the Internet, for example, via awired, wireless, or combination of wired and wireless, communicationlink 340. The network 308 communicates with various computing devicesand/or other electronic devices via wired or wireless communicationlinks. In the embodiment of FIG. 3B, the network 308 is communicatingwith one or more computing systems 310 and/or one or more data sources342.

Access to the motor control module 338 of the computer system 326 bycomputing systems 310 and/or by data sources 342 may be through aweb-enabled user access point such as the computing systems' 310 or datasource's 342 personal computer, cellular phone, laptop, or other devicecapable of connecting to the network 308. Such a device may have abrowser module is implemented as a module that uses text, graphics,audio, video, and other media to present data and to allow interactionwith data via the network 308.

The browser module may be implemented as a combination of an all pointsaddressable display such as a cathode-ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystaldisplay (LCD), a plasma display, or other types and/or combinations ofdisplays. In addition, the browser module may be implemented tocommunicate with input devices 332 and may also comprise software withthe appropriate interfaces which allow a user to access data through theuse of stylized screen elements such as, for example, menus, windows,dialog boxes, toolbars, and controls (for example, radio buttons, checkboxes, sliding scales, and so forth). Furthermore, the browser modulemay communicate with a set of input and output devices to receivesignals from the user.

The input device(s) may comprise a keyboard, roller ball, pen andstylus, mouse, trackball, voice recognition system, or pre-designatedswitches or buttons. The output device(s) may comprise a speaker, adisplay screen, a printer, or a voice synthesizer. In addition a touchscreen may act as a hybrid input/output device. In another embodiment, auser may interact with the system more directly such as through a systemterminal connected to the computing system without communications overthe Internet, a WAN, or LAN, or similar network.

In some embodiments, the system 326 may comprise a physical or logicalconnection established between a remote microprocessor and a mainframehost computer for the express purpose of uploading, downloading, orviewing interactive data and databases on-line in real time. The remotemicroprocessor may be operated by an entity operating the computersystem 326, including the client server systems or the main serversystem, and/or may be operated by one or more of the data sources 342and/or one or more of the computing systems. In some embodiments,terminal emulation software may be used on the microprocessor forparticipating in the micro-mainframe link.

In some embodiments, computing systems 310 who are internal to an entityoperating the computer system 326 may access the motor control module338 internally as an application or process run by the CPU 334.

Other Systems

In addition to the systems that are illustrated in FIGS. 3A-3B, thenetwork 308 may communicate with other data sources or other computingdevices. The computing system 326 may also comprise one or more internaland/or external data sources. In some embodiments, one or more of thedata repositories and the data sources may be implemented using arelational database, such as DB2, Sybase, Oracle, CodeBase andMicrosoft® SQL Server as well as other types of databases such as, forexample, a flat file database, an entity-relationship database, andobject-oriented database, and/or a record-based database.

User Access Point

In an embodiment, a user access point or user access point system 324comprises a personal computer, a laptop computer, a cellular phone, aniPhone®, a GPS system, a Blackberry® device, a portable computingdevice, a server, a computer workstation, a local area network ofindividual computers, an interactive kiosk, a personal digitalassistant, an interactive wireless communications device, a handheldcomputer, an embedded computing device, or the like.

FIGS. 3C-3I illustrate an example of an embodiment of an electricbicycle that is configured to be coupled with a user access point oruser access point system 324 for controlling the electric bicycle. Insome embodiments, the user access point system 324 can be permanentlyand/or semi-permanently installed. In other embodiments, the user accesspoint system 324 is a mobile device that can be selectively installedand/or removed. In some embodiments, the user access point system 324comprises more than one separate computing device, such as, for example,a cellular phone or smartphone configured to be carried by a user and toelectronically communicate, wired and/or wirelessly, with a separatecomputing device configured to be permanently or removably attached tothe electric bicycle. In some embodiments, a user access point system324 is configured to communicate with the electric bicycle computingsystem 310 wirelessly. For example, the user access point system 324 maycomprise a smartphone configured to be carried by a user and towirelessly communicate with the electric bicycle computing system 310.

In some embodiments, a user access point system 324 is configured to beattached and installed to the electric bicycle via a connector mechanism302. In some embodiments, the connector mechanism 302 comprises a cradleor a case that is configured to hold the user access point system and adata port configured to connect the user access point system 324 to theelectric bicycle computing system 310. The cradle or case 302 can bepermanently or semi-permanently attached to the frame of the electricbicycle.

In some embodiments, the user access point system 324 can comprisesoftware that allows the rider to select or set a maximum output of theelectric motor's power and/or speed. For example, using the softwareand/or user interface, the rider can set the maximum output of theelectric bicycle's power to about or exactly 250 watts (currently themost common requirement in Europe), about or exactly 500 watts, about orexactly 600 watts, about or exactly 700 watts, about or exactly 750watts, about or exactly 800 watts, about or exactly 900 watts, about orexactly 1000 watts, about or exactly 1100 watts, about or exactly 1200watts, about or exactly 1300 watts, about or exactly 1400 watts, aboutor exactly 1500 watts, about or exactly 2000 watts, about or exactly3000 watts, about or exactly 4000 watts, about or exactly 5000 watts orany other value.

In certain embodiments, the software and/or user interface of the useraccess point system 324 is configured such that a user only needs toselect a state or jurisdiction where the user is currently located. Theuser access point system 324 in certain embodiments comprises apre-stored database that comprises data of each jurisdiction's electricbicycle regulations and/or laws. For example, a user access point system324 can have pre-stored the maximum power and/or speed of electricbicycles allowed by law of one or more jurisdictions. In otherembodiments, data related to the maximum power and/or speed of electricbicycles allowed by law of one or more jurisdictions is stored in theelectric bicycle computing system 310 and/or main computing system 304.

In some embodiments, when a rider selects a particular jurisdiction, theuser access point system 324, electric bicycle computing system 310,and/or main computing system 304 is configured to determine the maximumpower and/or speed limit of the selected jurisdiction using a pre-storeddatabase and restrict the electric bicycle accordingly. For example, ifa rider inputted via the user access point system 324 that the rider iscurrently in California, the user access point system 324, electricbicycle computing system 310, and/or main computing system 304 can beconfigured to automatically determine or identify that the maximum poweroutput for electric bicycles in California is 1000 watts and limit thepower output of the electric motor to 1000 watts.

In certain embodiments, the user access point system 324 and/or electricbicycle computing system 310 comprises a GPS module which is configuredto automatically and/or periodically determine the location of theelectric bicycle, identify the maximum power and/or speed allowed by theappropriate jurisdiction's regulations, and limit the power and/or speedof the electric bicycle to that value(s). For example, if the useraccess point system 324 and/or electric bicycle computing system 310determines that the electric bicycle is currently in California, theuser access point system 324 and/or electric bicycle computing system310 can automatically identify that the maximum power output inCalifornia is limited to 1000 watts and restrict the power output to1000 watts. When the user access point system 300 and/or electricbicycle computing system 310 determines that the electric bicycle is inNew York at a later point in time, the user access point system 324and/or electric bicycle computing system can then automaticallydetermine that the electric bicycle is currently in New York andrestrict the maximum power and/or speed of the electric bicycle to themaximum value(s) allowed in New York.

In certain embodiments, the user access point system 324 can beconfigured to provide additional features as well. For example, the useraccess point system 324 can be configured to function as a speedometerand display the current speed of the electric bicycle to the user. Insome embodiments, the user access point system 324 can also provide aGPS navigation system and/or map to the user via a GPS module.Furthermore, in certain embodiments, the user access point system 324can be configured to provide driving education software to the user forefficient driving.

In addition, in some embodiments the user access point system 324 isconfigured to function as a key for locking and/or unlocking theelectric bicycle. For example, when a rider attaches and/or installs theuser access point system 324 into the electric bicycle, the electricbicycle computing system 310 can be configured to validate the identityof the user access point system 324 and unlock the electric bicycle ifvalidated. Similarly, when a rider removes the user access point system324 from the electric bicycle in certain embodiments, the electricbicycle computing system 310 can be configured to automatically detectthat the user access point system 324 is removed and lock the electricbicycle.

Methods of Controlling Maximum Output

FIG. 3J illustrates an overview of one embodiment of a method ofcontrolling the maximum output of a motor of an electric bicycle. Insome embodiments, a user and/or rider inputs or selects via a useraccess point system a jurisdiction where the electric bicycle is locatedat block 344. In certain embodiments, the user access point system isconfigured to display only certain jurisdictions, such as certain statesand/or countries. In other embodiments, the system is configured toautomatically detect the jurisdiction.

In certain embodiments, the electric bicycle computing systemcommunicates with a main computing system and/or other database(s) forany regulation updates at block 346. In some embodiments, the maincomputing system communicates with one or more regulations databases 350to obtain the most recent regulations. In certain embodiments, the useraccess point system only communicates with the main computing system forupdates only when necessary or periodically at predetermined intervals.In other embodiments, the user access point system does not communicatewith the main computing system for updates.

In some embodiments, the user access point system determines the maximumspeed and/or power output allowed for an electric bicycle under theupdated, if any, regulations of the selected jurisdiction at block 352.An electric bicycle computing system in certain embodiments can limitthe maximum speed and/or power of the electric bicycle according to thedetermined legal limits at block 354.

In certain embodiments, the user access point system displays the setmaximum power and/or speed to the rider at block 356 for confirmation.If the rider confirms, then the maximum speed and/or power output of theelectric bicycle is set to the maximum level allowable under thatjurisdiction's regulations. In some embodiments, the user access pointsystem is configured to display to the rider or user an option to evenlower the maximum power and/or speed of the electric bicycle below thejurisdiction's legal limits at block 358. For example, a parent maydecide to further limit the maximum power and/or speed of a child'selectric bicycle.

In some embodiments, if a rider or user selects a lower maximum speedand/or power limit of the electric bicycle at block 358, the electricbicycle computing can then limit such to the selected level at block360. In certain embodiments, the user access point system confirms thelower maximum speed and/or power value selected at block 362.

Motor Placement

Generally, most electric bicycles comprise a hub-motor that is locatedwithin the rear wheel frame of the electric bicycle. However, suchdesigns have many disadvantages. For example, because hub-motors cannotbe configured to be used with gears, a specially designed low RPM motormust be used for placement inside the rear wheel frame. Also, the weightof the hub-motor naturally affects the weight of the rear wheel andaffects the dynamics of the electric bicycle. In addition, due to therestrictions in size and placement, only motors of a particular sizeand/or configuration may be installed in such electric bicycles.Further, it can be difficult to remove and/or install a hub-motor due toits placement inside the rear wheel frame. In some cases, the whole rearwheel has to be replaced in order to replace a hub-motor.

In contrast, in an embodiment of an electric bicycle, the electric motoris placed outside the rear wheel frame. In some embodiments, theelectric motor is placed substantially beneath the seat frame. FIGS.4A-4G illustrate an example of an embodiment of an electric bicyclewhere the electric motor 412 is located beneath the seat and is attacheddirectly to the bicycle frame itself. In some embodiments, the motor 412is located substantially above a jackshaft 404.

By locating the motor 412 outside of the rear wheel frame, suchembodiments of an electric bicycle are more flexible and adaptable asthey can be used with a wider range of motors. For example, because themotor 412 is not located within the rear wheel frame, the motor 412 canbe configured to be used in conjunction with hinge gears, which allowsuse of a number of conventional motors that are not necessarilyspecially designed for low RPM. Also, there are less weight restrictionsas the weight of the wheel itself is not affected by the motor 412. Inaddition, motors 412 with a wider range of sizes and/or configurationscan be installed. Further, it is easier to remove and/or install a motor412.

Drivetrain Design

In some embodiments, the drivetrain of an electric bicycle is chain-freeand comprises belt drives 402, 410, 414. In some embodiments, one ormore belt drives 402, 410, 414 of the electric bicycle or portionsthereof are covered. For example, in some embodiments where one or morebags 200 are located in the rear of the bicycle, one or more belt drives402, 410, 414, jackshaft 414, motor 412, and/or portions thereof may beprotectively covered by portions of one or more bags 200.

In certain embodiments, an electric bicycle is configured such thatthere is complete independence between the electric motor 412 and pedals108. For example, in some embodiments, there is no or substantially noresistance to the pedals 108 from the motor 412 when the motor ispowering the electric bicycle. In certain embodiments, when the electricbicycle is powered by the motor 412, the motor 412 moves a first beltdrive 410, which further turns a jackshaft 404. As the jackshaft 404 isturned, a second belt drive 414 is moved thereby turning the real wheel408.

In some embodiments, when the pedals 108 are moved to power the electricbicycle, the pedals 108 move a third belt drive 402 which further turnsa jackshaft 404. In some embodiments, an electric bicycle comprises anidler 406 contacting the third belt drive 402. In some embodiments, thesame jackshaft 404 is turned by both manual pedaling 108 and theelectric motor 412. As the jackshaft 404 is turned, the second beltdrive 414 is moved thereby turning the rear wheel 408.

In some embodiments, the first, second, and third belt drives 410, 414,402 substantially form a T-shape with the jackshaft 404 located at theintersection. In certain embodiments, the angle between the first andsecond belt drives 410, 414, the first and third belt drives 410, 402,and/or the second and third belt drives 414, 402 is about 5°, about 10°,about 15°, about 20°, about 25°, about 30°, about 35°, about 40°, about45°, about 50°, about 55°, about 60°, about 65°, about 70°, about 75°,about 80°, about 85°, about 90°, about 95°, about 100°, about 105°,about 110°, about 115°, about 120°, about 125°, about 130°, about 135°,about 140°, about 145°, about 150°, about 155°, about 160°, about 165°,about 170°, about 175°, about 180°, or any other angle.

In some embodiments, the third belt drive 402 is located on one side ofthe electric bicycle and the first and second belt drives 410, 414 arelocated on the other side of the electric bicycle. In other embodiments,the second belt drive 414 is located on one side of the electric bicycleand the first and third belt drives 410, 402 are located on the otherside of the electric bicycle. In certain embodiments, the first beltdrive 410 is located on one side of the electric bicycle and the secondand third belt drives 414, 402 are located on the other side of theelectric bicycle. In other embodiments, the first, second, and thirdbelt drives 410, 414, 402 are all located on the same side of theelectric bicycle.

In some embodiments, the various belt drives are on pulleys attached tothe various axles. For instance, a first belt drive 410 may be on apulley connected to the electric motor 412 and on a pulley connected tothe jackshaft 404. An axle is connected to this pulley on the jackshaft404 which connects to other pulleys on the axle. Among these otherpulleys, one pulley may be connected to the second belt drive 414 andanother pulley connected to the third belt drive 402. The jackshaft 404and axle may have more or less pulleys in various arrangements andlocations, depending on the arrangements and locations of the variousbelt drives.

Shock Linkage

In an embodiment, the rear wheel suspension of the electric bicycle usesshock linkage instead of direct shock. By using a shock linkage insteadof a direct shock it is possible to withstand a wide range of loads bymaking slight adjustments.

Conditional language, such as, among others, “can,” “could,” “might,” or“may,” unless specifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understoodwithin the context as used, is generally intended to convey that certainembodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certainfeatures, elements and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is notgenerally intended to imply that features, elements and/or steps are inany way required for one or more embodiments or that one or moreembodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without userinput or prompting, whether these features, elements and/or steps areincluded or are to be performed in any particular embodiment. Theheadings used herein are for the convenience of the reader only and arenot meant to limit the scope of the inventions or claims.

Although the embodiments of the inventions have been disclosed in thecontext of a certain preferred embodiments and examples, it will beunderstood by those skilled in the art that the present inventionsextend beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments to otheralternative embodiments and/or uses of the inventions and obviousmodifications and equivalents thereof. In addition, while a number ofvariations of the inventions have been shown and described in detail,other modifications, which are within the scope of the inventions, willbe readily apparent to those of skill in the art based upon thisdisclosure. It is also contemplated that various combinations orsubcombinations of the specific features and aspects of the embodimentsmay be made and still fall within one or more of the inventions.Accordingly, it should be understood that various features and aspectsof the disclosed embodiments can be combine with or substituted for oneanother in order to form varying modes of the disclosed inventions.Thus, it is intended that the scope of the present inventions hereindisclosed should not be limited by the particular disclosed embodimentsdescribed above.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-readable, non-transitory storagemedium having a computer program stored thereon for causing a suitablyprogrammed mobile computing device to process by one or more processorscomputer-program code by performing a method for controlling a maximumpower output of a motor of a vehicle when the computer program isexecuted on the suitably programmed mobile computing device, the vehiclecomprising an electric bicycle, moped, motor assisted cycle, ormotorcycle, the method comprising: determining, by a geolocation systemof the mobile computing device, a geographic location representative ofa geographic position of the vehicle; accessing, by the mobile computingdevice, an electronic database comprising maximum power outputregulation data; determining, by the mobile computing device, based onthe geographic location and the maximum power output regulation data, apower output limit related to the geographic location; and transmitting,from the mobile computing device to a control system of the vehicle,data that enables the control system to limit a maximum power output ofthe motor of the vehicle to the determined power output limit.
 2. Thecomputer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, the methodfurther comprising: receiving, by the mobile computing device from acomputer server system, an update to the maximum power output regulationdata; and modifying, by the mobile computing device, the electronicdatabase in response to the received update.
 3. The computer-readable,non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:receiving, by the mobile computing device, a selection of anoff-road-only mode of operation; and transmitting, from the mobilecomputing device to the control system of the vehicle, data thatinstructs the control system to enable the maximum power output of themotor to exceed the power output limit.
 4. The computer-readable,non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, the method further comprising:receiving, by the mobile computing device, a selection of a non-poweredmode of operation; and transmitting, from the mobile computing device tothe control system of the vehicle, data that instructs the controlsystem to disable the motor.
 5. The computer-readable, non-transitorystorage medium of claim 1, the method further comprising: determining,by the mobile computing device, based on the geographic location, avehicle speed limit for the geographic location; and transmitting, fromthe mobile computing device to the control system of the vehicle, datathat enables the control system to limit a maximum speed of the vehicleto the determined vehicle speed limit.
 6. The computer-readable,non-transitory storage medium of claim 1, wherein the geolocation systemof the mobile computing device uses at least one of a global positioningsystem or cellular tower triangulation to determine the geographiclocation.
 7. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium ofclaim 1, wherein the transmitting, from the mobile computing device tothe control system of the vehicle, comprises a wireless transmission. 8.A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having a computerprogram stored thereon for causing a suitably programmed vehiclecomputer system to process by one or more processors computer-programcode by performing a method for controlling a maximum power output of amotor of a vehicle when the computer program is executed on the suitablyprogrammed vehicle computer system, the vehicle comprising an electricbicycle, moped, motor assisted cycle, or motorcycle, the methodcomprising: receiving, by the vehicle computer system from a mobilecomputing device comprising a geolocation system, data representative ofa geographic location of the vehicle; accessing, by the vehicle computersystem, an electronic database comprising maximum power outputregulation data; determining, by the vehicle computer system, based onthe geographic location and the maximum power output regulation data, apower output limit related to the geographic location; and causing, bythe vehicle computer system, the maximum power output of the motor ofthe vehicle to be limited to the determined power output limit.
 9. Thecomputer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 8, the methodfurther comprising: receiving, by the vehicle computer system, an updateto the maximum power output regulation data; and modifying, by thevehicle computer system, the electronic database in response to thereceived update.
 10. The computer-readable, non-transitory storagemedium of claim 8, the method further comprising: receiving, by thevehicle computer system, a selection of an off-road-only mode ofoperation; and enabling, by the vehicle computer system, in response tothe selection of the off-road-only mode of operation, the maximum poweroutput of the motor of the vehicle to exceed the determined power outputlimit.
 11. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim10, wherein the selection of the off-road-only mode of operation isreceived by the vehicle computer system from the mobile computingdevice.
 12. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium ofclaim 10, wherein the selection of the off-road-only mode of operationis received by the vehicle computer system via a user input of thevehicle computer system.
 13. The computer-readable, non-transitorystorage medium of claim 8, further comprising: receiving, by the vehiclecomputer system, a selection of a non-powered mode of operation; anddisabling, by the vehicle computer system, in response to the selectionof the non-powered mode of operation, the motor of the vehicle.
 14. Thecomputer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 13, whereinthe selection of the non-powered mode of operation is received by thevehicle computer system from the mobile computing device.
 15. Thecomputer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim 8, wherein thereceiving, by the vehicle computer system from the mobile computingdevice, comprises a wireless transmission from the mobile computingdevice.
 16. A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium having acomputer program stored thereon for causing a suitably programmedvehicle computer system to process by one or more processorscomputer-program code by performing a method for controlling a maximumpower output of a motor of a vehicle when the computer program isexecuted on the suitably programmed vehicle computer system, the vehiclecomprising an electric bicycle, moped, motor assisted cycle, ormotorcycle, the method comprising: receiving, by the vehicle computersystem from a mobile computing device comprising a geolocation system,power output limit data indicative of a jurisdictional power outputlimit related to a geographic location of the vehicle, wherein thejurisdictional power output limit is determined by the mobile computingdevice querying an electronic database using geographic position datafrom the geolocation system; and causing, by the vehicle computersystem, the maximum power output of the motor of the vehicle to belimited to the jurisdictional power output limit for the geographiclocation of the vehicle.
 17. The computer-readable, non-transitorystorage medium of claim 16, further comprising: receiving, by thevehicle computer system, a selection of an off-road-only mode ofoperation; and enabling, by the vehicle computer system, in response tothe selection of the off-road-only mode of operation, the maximum poweroutput of the motor of the vehicle to exceed the determined power outputlimit.
 18. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium of claim17, wherein the selection of the off-road-only mode of operation isreceived by the vehicle computer system from the mobile computingdevice.
 19. The computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium ofclaim 17, wherein the selection of the off-road-only mode of operationis received by the vehicle computer system via a user input of thevehicle computer system.
 20. The computer-readable, non-transitorystorage medium of claim 16, wherein the receiving, by the vehiclecomputer system from the mobile computing device, comprises a wirelesstransmission from the mobile computing device.